Stop #1: The Road to Becoming A Therapy Dog

From the day I met Harrison, I have known there was something therapeutic about him.

He has this amazing, unexplainable, ability to sense sadness and pain. Harry has never missed an opportunity to strategically position himself beneath my hand when I need it most. His soft fur feels like cashmere and his giant head provides a comforting weight in the lap of those who welcome him. His sensitive soul, combined with his engaging and relaxed attitude, make him the ideal candidate for becoming a therapy dog.

A therapy dog is a dog that visits various places in the community (hospitals, nursing homes, schools, hospices, etc.) and provides affection and comfort to people in need. A therapy dog’s primary job is to remain calm while allowing people to pet/hug/cuddle with them. It requires a gentle disposition and a confident personality that can accept an abundance of friendly strangers. Becoming a therapy dog is no easy feat. Along with acquiring the appropriate training, there are many hoops to jump through before a dog is allowed to go out and begin spreading love.

Sunday morning, Harry took his first step toward achieving this goal. We met with Skip, of Daiger Dog Training (http://www.daigerdogtraining.com) to discuss Harry’s potential and work on a few necessary aspects of training. We practiced getting and keeping his focus and played a game of “Harry ping pong”. This basically entails Skip and I sitting on opposite sides of the room before taking turns saying his name. If he made eye contact he would receive positive reinforcement in the form of a treat. 

Harry’s biggest obstacle is lying down. Skip explained to me that certain breeds of dogs (especially bully breeds) are not naturally inclined to this command and that it would just take some patience and lots of treats. Aside from these minor training issues, Skip felt that Harry had the perfect temperament for a therapy dog.

In the afternoon, Harry and I spent some time downstairs alone, working on our “down” command. He had me in hysterics (and covered in drool) because every time I moved the treat along the floor to try to coax him down he showered me with kisses. Eventually we managed to achieve several “downs” and Harry was rewarded with some play time with his new rope toy.

For now, we are going to continue training until I feel that he is ready to take his Canine Good Citizen Test. Hopefully he will be ready for it soon!!

 

Riley is available for adoption at http://www.mprgroup.net/dogs/riley.html.

Some Things Never Change!!

 

Lucy and Ziggy

Cuddle Buddies!

 

I often find my drool crew in various adorable positions. It's always a challenge to snap the picture without waking them.  I imagine it is pretty entertaining to watch me slowly slide off the couch and tiptoe across our creaky floor to get the camera. I am about as sneaky as an elephant on bubble wrap.

Sometimes We Never Grow Up!

 

Titania's Story

Titania’s life has been one of disappointment. Several years ago, she ended up as a stray in one of Kansas City’s busiest shelters. She was over-bred, underweight, and dirty. Even so, she still managed to catch the eye of one Missouri Pit Bull Rescue volunteer. This volunteer was quickly walking the aisles of the overcrowded shelter, looking for potential dogs to pull into rescue. As she approached Titania’s kennel, her brisk pace slowed and she paused momentarily. She made a note to herself to come back the next day to evaluate Titi and pull her into the rescue.

The volunteer kept true to her word and returned the next day to find that kennel empty. A small sign on the kennel door read “adopted.” The volunteer felt relieved, yet sad. There was something special about Miss Titi and hopefully her new adopter would recognize that.

Flash forward a couple of years. That same volunteer was at the same shelter, making the same rounds, when again something caused her to pause. She stopped in front of one of the kennels and admired the dog. There was a sense of déjà vu. Had she met this dog before? Her mind was running through the thousands of dogs she’d encountered over the years. Then as the dog smiled up at her, her memory flashed to Titania. Is it possible that Titania had found herself in the shelter again?

A quick microchip scan confirmed her theory and the volunteer made plans to pull her… this time immediately. Titi left the shelter that day and quickly became a volunteer favorite at MPR. Short and squatty and spotted like a cow, it was hard not to smile in her presence. She could snuggle with the best of them and was one heck of a napping buddy.

Months passed and Titi remained with MPR. Her behavior with other dogs limited her adoption potential. She needed to be an only pet. But this delay didn't phase Titi; she watied patiently. She was happy with MPR and MPR was happy with her.

During her stay with MPR it was discovered that she had an ACL tear, yet another setback in her adoptability. A lot of money was needed for the surgery and (as it always is in rescue) money was tight.

This began several months of fundraising efforts. Finally, after months of Facebook pleas, MPR was able to schedule her surgery. And thanks to MPR’s generous supporters, Titi’s ACL was successfully repaired on 9/5/2013.

So with tears in my eyes, I am happy to announce that today is a special day. Today is the end of Titi’s previous life and the beginning of her "happily ever after."
 

Today, after over a year with MPR, Titi is going home…and we couldn’t be happier. These are the days that rescue workers live for. There are times when days like this seem few and far between, but these days make all of the bad days worthwhile.
 

It is with a mixture of smiles and tears that we say farewell to Titania. We know her new life will be filled with love and happiness, but she will forever occupy a special place in our hearts. 

So, goodbye Miss Titi. Your unconditional love and resilient spirit has been an inspiration to us all.

All photos were taken by Missouri Pit Bull Rescue volunteers

Separation Anxiety

As a rescue volunteer and foster mom, I have encountered my fair share of separation anxiety. Although the causes of separation anxiety can vary from dog to dog, many experts believe that it develops as a reaction to a traumatic event (such as being dumped at a shelter) or major change in family routine. Whatever the cause, separation anxiety is difficult to deal with and is one of the more common reasons that adopted animals are returned to shelters. Today's blog entry is written in response to a few of my rescue friends who are experiencing these anxiety issues for the first time. 

Upon first entering our home, Layla attached herself to us immediately. It was as if she’d waited her entire life for our home and she never wanted us to leave her sight ever again. She followed us from room to room. When we sat, she sat, but as soon as one of us moved she felt compelled to follow. Hey, if you won the lottery you wouldn’t just set your winnings down and wander off would you?

 Photo: Courtesy of Caity and her foster dog Shatoosh

“Isn’t it cute that she is so attached to us?!?” I exclaimed to my husband that first day. It felt nice to be needed. I felt like I had a purpose beyond my usual role of “filler of the food bowl” and “scooper of the poop”. This dog REALLY needed me.


We returned home from dinner that night to quite the surprise. Layla had shredded the entire plastic liner of her crate. The door of the crate had been bent and pried open. All of the cushions had been pulled off the furniture, puddles of drool covered the windows, and there was blood everywhere. In the process of escaping, she had scraped her muzzle raw. There were cuts extending from the tip of her nose to her eyes. She looked terrible.

Obviously, this level of attachment was unhealthy and her anxiety was heartbreaking.  So I immediately took to the internet for suggestions and just started trying them. There was a lot of trial and error in those first few months.

We started with the obvious suggestions:

·    We left the TV and radio on.

·    We moved her kennel into the living room so she didn’t feel isolated.

·    We tried leaving her out of the kennel (BAD idea! That was not a good day).

·    We reinforced the kennel with extra-strength zip ties.

·    We left “indestructible” toys in her kennel (FYI, this toy company’s claim was quickly proven otherwise).  

We also began working on desensitization and counterconditioning:

·    We started by leaving the house for short periods of time. Several times a day, my husband and I packed up our stuff, left the house, and sat on our front porch for 5-10 minutes before going back inside. I’m sure our neighbors wondered why we were always sitting outside staring at our watches, but if that’s the weirdest thing they saw me do then I consider myself lucky.

·    Upon returning, we ignored Layla for another 5-10 minutes to show her that our return was nothing exciting or celebratory.  

·    We gradually increased the amount of time we were gone, but each time we left the house in exactly the same way. We put on our shoes, turned on the TV, put her in her kennel, and left the house. Any deviation from this routine and Layla returned to her old ways. The worst part about this strict routine is that you cannot go back if you forget something. There were quite a few days when my lunch consisted of greasy cafeteria food instead of the healthy packed lunch that I had inadvertently left behind in our fridge.  

Over time, (I’d estimate about 6-12 months), her anxiety improved. We no longer dreaded coming home. Also, the addition of Harry to the family made a world of difference in her confidence. I don’t recommend going out and getting another dog to solve separation anxiety, but in this instance, it helped tremendously.

In summary, there a hundreds of resources out there for separation anxiety, but below is my list of tried and true solutions. Remember, these things take patience and commitment. It is very important to stick with it and be consistent!

1.       Leave the TV/radio on

2.       Move the crate to a more central location in the home (no basements, closets, garages, etc.)

3.       Reinforce the crate with extra-strength zip ties or metal clips

4.       Leave a high value treat/toy in their kennel. Many people have success with Kongs stuffed with peanut butter and then frozen overnight. Others have results with stuffed toys or blankets that smell like them.

5.       If you have other dogs, try crating them all in the same room.

6.       Keep a strict routine. Leave the house the same way every time.

7.       Do not acknowledge them when you return home and they are in their excited state. This helps the dog learn that your return is nothing extraordinary and should be accepted as routine.

8.       Desensitization and counterconditioning exercises

9.       If the crate is absolutely not working, then you can try leaving your dog loose yet still in a confined space (i.e. bedroom, kitchen with baby gate, laundry room). But if you come home to find your kitchen cabinets destroyed, don’t say that I didn’t warn you!!

10.   Seek professional help. There are anxiolytic medications that can be prescribed when all else fails.

Here is an excellent resource for desensitization and counterconditioning tips:

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety 

And as always, any additional tips are welcomed in the comment section below!